MSC Takes Digital Leadership Position

| Monty Mathisen

January 18, 2018

Three years of research has led to the digital experience of the future aboard the MSC Meraviglia and Seaside, powered by the company’s MSC for Me app.

“The expectations of our guests were changing. The idea was to place them at the center of the ecosystem and the center of the stage,” said Luca Pronzati, chief business innovation officer. “We wanted to give them the possibility to get in touch with the ship for any need, at any place and any time during their vacation.

“What you see today on the Seaside is from a three-year program involving 100 people and a major investment.”

The app, available on Apple and Android platforms, is based off a human-centered design approach, Pronzati said, that will get rid of paper, long lines and other friction points.

Perhaps more impressive is the technology powering the app, which worked seamlessly across the Seaside, and will be introduced to more ships in the near future.

Daniele Buonaiuto, the company’s CIO, said it was nothing short of a major project putting in the infrastructure to keep guests connected, which included 665 access points and some 3,275 wireless beacons across the ship.

“We can’t lose connections, so we needed a highly reliable network,” he said. “There are 900 people in the theater getting connected at the same time, it’s a complex scenario.”

“It is one of the most advanced networks (at sea),” Buonaiuto noted.

MSC’s app can pinpoint a passenger’s location within centimeters. “Exploring a city through GPS has become a given,” he continued.

That experience is much different at sea, with a huge metal superstructure killing signals.

“For that reason we have recreated a GPS system using beacons, installed everywhere.”

The app can direct passengers, turn-by-turn, to venues, elevators, restrooms and their cabins.

Next, Pronzati said the company was looking into the robotic experience aboard.

“There has been a huge commitment from Mr. Vago (Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman) and top management to further invest beyond what we’ve already achieved,” he added.